


The Runaway Hostage

by kunnskat



Category: Criminal Minds, The Vampire Diaries (TV)
Genre: & pairing may become an / pairing, Gen, Hostage Situations, Running Away, suggestions for better title would be welcome, tags will be fixed if so
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-06
Updated: 2018-09-08
Packaged: 2018-11-09 13:33:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,430
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11105589
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kunnskat/pseuds/kunnskat
Summary: In most worlds, Elena stays in Mystic Falls, she gets help from everyone around her and tries hard to adjust.In others, she runs.





	1. Elena Gilbert

**Author's Note:**

> Currently a one-shot, may become a two-shot.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> She tries to not attract attention wherever she goes. Sometimes it's incredibly difficult.

"It'll be okay, don't worry," he attempts to comfort her, mistaking her discomfort for that of the villain scaring her. 

Usually, he would, but she has faced so many villains that were absolutely terrifying. This villain is just another human, just one more person that, even if he escapes the people that he knows will hunt him for this, he won't ever be able to get away from those he doesn't know will hunt him. She's not afraid of him, she's afraid for him. 

She tries to smile back at the man, Spencer he had introduced himself as, but it feels more like a grimace than anything, so she drops it to turn her attention back to the gun-wielding maniac that had taken them hostage, along with several others. 

Spencer seems like he's got experience, so she's not as worried about him as their hostage taker, but she's a little worried about the older man that can't seem to sit still. He might attract the ire of the current villain in the building, which wouldn't end very well. It's also easy to see she's not the only one thinking it, half the group keeps sending him warning looks. 

Elena would laugh, if this had been just the slightest bit less serious. 

It's just that this is so typical of her life, she's starting to get immune to fear for her own life. 

She supposes this is what she gets for thinking she could circumvent all those bad things happening by leaving Mystic Falls behind. 

"Everyone get up! Get up right now!"

She doesn't hesitate to obey, making her one of four, while there's one that needs another shout to get up but doesn't make anymore fuss. The hostage taker seems too angry right now, so she's glad everyone is doing as told even as the door slams shut behind them, and they hear it being locked. 

It's a dangerous situation to be in, no matter if they're out there or in here, but it might be easier for everyone in here. If no one's claustrophobic. 

-

They're lucky. 

The next time the door opens, giving them back precious air, it's not the hostage taker they see. It's their saviors. 

Elena finally finds it in herself to smile properly. 

It'd have sucked to watch people die, she didn't have to do that this time. 

Getting up, she stretches to get used to moving after so long of sitting still, sharing a moment of relief with Spencer, before they both turn to get out of there with everyone.

Safe and sound. Physically, at least, for all of them, if not mentally.

She waves off the offer of a ride home. There is no home here for her to return to. Just a hotel room that she'll need to leave soon. 

What she does do, however, before she leaves, is thank Spencer with a kiss on his cheek.

She hopes she never sees him again.

It's safer for him that way.

-

She disappears from that city relatively quickly after, but there's no news of her being wanted, so she doesn't think anyone notices. 

She didn't exactly tell the FBI where she'd been staying, and she doubts they'd gone looking. They caught their hostage taker - probably, she didn't really check because he's no danger to her - so there's nothing left for them to use her for. 

And doesn't that sound all kinds of wrong. Use her. Like she's an object. Like her being a doppelganger is a universal fact everyone can use. 

She's no longer a human with all the rights involved. 

She never really was, but ignorance was bliss.

The question is if she is willing to become what she doesn't want to be or if she's going to end up just like Katherine. 

Neither prospect is attractive. 

Still, she's careful about where she goes and who she trusts, and she only gets more so after that incident. She can't afford to have her name mentioned officially, it's just one more thing to lead her to getting found. 

-

She's found, anyway, when she least expects it. 

It's a small town in Texas, one of the places she least expected to meet a Mikaelson, so of course it happens. It's just her good luck that it's Elijah, who doesn't seek to outright kill or maim her, and not one of his other siblings. 

Elijah treats her like a gentleman would, up until they're completely alone, and he becomes a little more interrogative. She doesn't mind as much, it's not hard to say she just wanted an out from the Supernatural world for a little while, that she's been travelling and trying to live a little. It's not a lie, even if it's not the entire truth to it. 

She doesn't owe him the entire story.

These days she doesn't owe him anything. 

They make a deal, however, that they'll meet again like this. But on purpose. In a few months. Somewhere nicer. They'll agree on the details later. 

She's not certain she'll make it. She's also not certain she'll try to. 

Avoiding the Supernatural includes avoiding him, as well. She's been doing well at it so far. 

She hasn't been doing as well at avoiding crime, but it's not the hardest to run from that as it is the Mikaelsons.

When she parts way with Elijah, it's on purpose. She thanks him for the offer to join him on his current trip, but refuses, citing the need to go wherever her feet bring her. And her feet are bringing her wherever her head thinks might be the safest place at the time. 

She does make sure to know where he's going and to casually inquire about the rest of them, however. It'll help her avoid them, which he agrees would be smart. 

-

Her next run in is not as nice, but she'd known it would happen sooner or later. There's only so far that she can run without running into the Salvatores. Especially given that they're no doubt looking for her wherever they go. 

Damon had spent so long looking for Katherine, this isn't even half that time so she's not surprised they've yet to give up. 

Stefan cares a lot about her, too, she really can't imagine he'd just leave her missing after all that time she spent searching for him, it's not that big of a surprise for them to be together while looking for her. They belong together whether she is there or not. She doesn't want to be the one to split them apart. They deserve better. 

Katherine broke them like Klaus had broken her. Elena isn't about to make it worse. 

She tries to leave before they can see her, when she learns they're there, but her luck only lasts until just outside the city. 

Or maybe it's not luck. Maybe they waited until they were certain she is travelling alone before confronting her. 

Because it's a confrontation alright. She's alone, there's no one there to force her to do anything. There's no one but her. 

Maybe Elijah told them. She should have asked him not to, but she had thought that might make him suspicious and made it harder to successfully separate from him. She curses that thought, now. 

There is no smiling from any of them when the two join her in the gas station. She still waves off the concerned glances from customers and follows them out, after paying for her water and sandwich. There is no need for anyone to witness their drama. 

She wishes she didn't have to, either. 

-

It isn't easy to give them the slip when they're expecting it, but she manages. 

She leaves them with an apology for leaving, but the refusal to feel sorry for doing what she needs to do in order to keep them safe.

A blonde approaches her when she passes by the gas station once more, this time to fill up so she can go the other way, and asks her if she needs help getting away from the brothers. She just smiles, thanks her for the offer, but promises that the assistance is unnecessary. 

She doesn't say she's not running. She tries to lie as little as she has to, so there's less to keep track of. 

The woman offers up her phone number anyway, and tells her to call if she decides otherwise, and Elena saves the number on her phone, but promises herself to never use it. There's no need to get good, innocent people involved in her problems. That's exactly what she's running from.

And this Jennifer is nothing if not a good person.

She's still watching her when she drives away, Elena can see her just standing there as she leaves. It bothers her a little to be remembered, but she wouldn't feel right in taking that away from someone without needing to. 

The only people she ever compels these days are those she feeds from, and that is rare, given that she spends more of her time stealing blood bags. 

Elena tries not to think about the fact that she's technically a criminal. Most of the time she manages. 

The times she doesn't are the times she approaches people more often, tries to help out where she can. Whether that is mowing a lawn or saving people from accidents. 

One time she sees a car go off the road and into the lake by it, so she swims after it. The man in front of the wheel nor the little girl in the back are conscious. So she makes a choice. The little girl first. And if the man is still alive when she's made certain the girl will live, she'll get him too. 

She knows he won't be, so all her efforts go into the little girl. And when the girl wakes up, she calls for help and leaves her there with the jacket she'd shed before she jumped in, in an effort to warm her up. 

Elena then disappears, knowing she's got no explanation for the strength she used to get the girl out of there, and that there's nothing more she can do but watch from a distance that nothing else happens to her.

She doesn't compel the little girl, though she's very tempted, because she's sure her account of what happened will be muddled as it is.

-

Two and a half weeks later and that lack of action comes back to haunt her. 

She notices that something is up the moment she sits down in the little cafe, but it's too late to turn around and leave. She's not sure how many there are after her, or if they really are, but she's got this feeling and it's saying she needs to go. 

So she places her order and asks for the restroom. There's a tiny window, she knows she can squeeze through if she tries. 

She's successful enough to get away for seven blocks, and then she crashes into a tall, dark man, who looks at her with familiarity in his eyes. 

It reminds her of a hostage situation she was once in, and she blinks in surprise back at him as he introduces himself, "Derek Morgan," and asks for her phone number for that friend of his. Spencer Reid, he tells her, as clarification. 

Elena hesitates, but she shouldn't have a reason to say no, and the sooner she does it, the sooner she can continue running. She doesn't actually have to answer if he calls...

But he's an FBI agent, right? Wasn't that what Spencer had said at the beginning, before they'd started talking? 

In the end she asks for his, instead, promising to call him later but excusing herself from giving hers with the excuse that she's a pretty girl and needs to be careful even if she thinks she recognizes him and does know who he is talking of. Derek rattles off a number she writes down with a pen she always keeps on hand in case she needs to note something down quickly or communicate without sound, but before she can leave, he halts her with the question if she's okay or if she's in some kind of trouble, tells her she's acting flighty, and she wishes people wouldn't be so kind to her. 

That's when she sees one of the people from the cafe on the other side of the street looking right back at her. 

Apologizing, Elena walks as quickly as she dares, but runs after she turns a corner, disappearing from the human eye without seeing Derek notice what had spooked her. 

She realizes how big of a problem it is when the knocking of her door is accompanied by a female voice announcing herself as an FBI agent, saying they'd met before and that she's worried about her. 

There's no way out for her here other than to open that door, unless she'd like to be chased down by the FBI. After all, if you run, it means you've got something to hide, and Elena can't afford for her secrets to come to light.

-

Opening the door proves to be another regret. 

Jennifer, she remembers and is reminded, is accompanied by another familiar, and just as worried looking as Jennifer, face. Spencer Reid is one she remembers as being very clever, which could prove a problem, and she'd hoped so that she wouldn't see him again. 

She doesn't want to drag him and his team into her problems, really doesn't. 

There's not much choice, they've got her cornered, and she's going to have to come up with something that's the truth yet not. 

Telling them she's running from the Supernatural will just get her 'crazy' points, not 'trustworthy' or 'honesty' points. 

Spencer smiles at her, a half one that looks like he's attempting to be comforting but can't quite get there, and Elena lets them into the room she's renting for the day. Night. Until very early morning tomorrow, at most. 

"You've been travelling a lot," he notes, looking at her like she's the only thing in the room worth studying, and maybe it's just because he's already seen the rest of it or it's because he's looking to see if she's going to be honest or if she's going to avoid telling them anything and then run for it again, but it's a frustratingly good feeling, it reminds her a little of Elijah at times. 

It's just that Spencer can't really protect her from the big bad world, and she doesn't want to put that kind of responsibility on his shoulders. 

"Are you running from someone?"

Even if he's trying to.


	2. Spencer Reid

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He pays attention to the sadness and past tense of her words.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've had this drafted for ages??? And I meant to add more to it, but just never got that far. So I'm just going ahead and publishing it as is so the ones that's been waiting can finally read it.

The first thing he notices is her discomfort. A frown only barely visible on the twitch of her lips, wariness in her eyes, and he tries to ease it a little. Tries to make one less person want to jump up and run from the hostage taker, "it'll be okay, don't worry," and he's immediately puzzled at himself. Those are not the words he would usually use, they sound more like something Emily might say. 

She very obviously tries to smile back at him, though, and he knows she appreciates the concern, if not the words themselves, so he temporarily puts it in the back of his mind, turning it into a conversation to make the atmosphere easier to breathe in for everyone. 

The only disruption is the sudden anger of the unsub, which he is very wary of making worse and does his best to keep everything going, moving to help up that one hostage that takes a second longer to do as ordered, and then they're locked inside the vault and he tries to return the atmosphere back to where he'd gotten it with the help of 'Elena', as she'd introduced herself. 

She's one of the two answering him.

Those answers are a little evasive, but he pretends not to notice. For now. His curiosity can be kept on hold while they're hostages, but later. When they're free? He can bring it up then. 

She seems so sad, it makes him feel worried for her sake. Not just for this situation, but in general. 

Her answers are all was, did, verbs with the -ed ending. Past tense, as in none of that belongs to her current reality. He can hear a very vague accent, hidden in between words, that tells him she's a traveler. But is it by choice?

Or was it the choice least harmful to her?

-

Through the entire situation, his mind multi-tasks. Hers is the second problem, and it's given just as much attention as everything he does or say to attempt keeping everyone calm and breathing easy. They can't waste what oxygen they may have left. 

When the door opens and his team is there with him, his smiles come a little easier than before, and they're all bundled up and taken outside to check for any injuries and the like. 

He's explaining some things to Morgan from where he's sitting next to a paramedic, when she approaches them. 

She kisses his cheek and all of a sudden it feels very warm. A smile and a thanks are uttered and before he can say anything back, she disappears back the way she'd come. 

Morgan promises to ask for her number for him and leaves too, but he doesn't get to see her again that day. 

Or the next. Morgan hadn't caught up to her and she'd disappeared from the paramedic that'd been with her as well. 

It worries him a little more than before.

-

He doesn't know much about her, but some of her tells are those that stand out as behavior usual for people on the run from someone.

Her tucking her hair behind her ear and then changing her mind, freeing it only seconds after, implies a need to hide her face. 

The way she wrapped her arms around her stomach or her knees until she noticed what she was doing and leaving them loose at her side says she feels the need to protect herself from harm because she's been hurt before and she knows she'll be hurt again. 

She smiled more than she obviously wanted to, implying a wish to keep anyone from finding out what is happening to her, maybe so they won't try to get involved and get hurt as a consequence.

He asks Penelope for help to find her, but she tells him there's no Elena with her description living in their city, then she tries hotels and that's when he learns she's a visitor and she's already left. 

She can't tell him where she's gone. 

Yet, she says, very determined to help by the tone of her voice.

-

Between cases he tries searching for her. His team is helpful when he explains the feeling he got while talking with her.

He talks with JJ on the phone and tells her all about the case that isn't a case, and when he mentions the name Elena, she pauses for a moment, and then mentions that she'd come across a woman calling herself Elena, who had been cornered in a gas station by two men, but then returned alright, so all she had been able to do was give her number to her. 

It takes only a slight description of her to know that it's the same Elena as in the hostage situation. Every word following proves it. 

His attempts multiply, and he's taking the case a little more seriously this time. 

It's obvious she's being hunted, proving his theory of her being a runaway from something or someone.

-

He takes a quick look around the room when she lets them in, taking note of many things and letting it solve itself in the back of his mind, while most of his attention goes to her, the woman he's been chasing since he first met her. He doesn't know for sure if she needs saving, but everything they've learned until now hints heavily at it. 

"You've been travelling a lot," he mentions, telling her without words that they've kept track of her as much as they could. He doesn't mention places or dates, hoping she'll fill in the blanks without realizing that they are blanks. 

Elena looks torn, so he continues, prodding at the biggest worry of them all. 

"Are you running from someone?" 

They can help her, but only if she lets them. He needs for her to let them, he doesn't understand why he needs it so much but he does.


End file.
